Jump to content
  • Welcome Guest

    For an ad free experience on Online Baptist, Please login or register for free

Cast iron cookware set or other...


Recommended Posts

  • Members

My grandmother used to own a cast iron cookware set. You know, the ones that were heavy as I do not know what. Do you think this is a good investment, for purchasing a complete set would run a few hundred dollars. If not, want would you recommend?


They are very useful. I have two, a medium sized one which I use sometimes, and a very large one which I use rarely.

They are very good for simmering, but if you do buy some, get those with nobles inside the lid rather than smooth lids as the condensed steam drips from the former and aids cooking but runs down the sides of the latter.

As they are very heavy, you have to be very careful if you have a glass hob such as halogen.

The French are past masters of these cast iron pans. In times past they used them on their wood burning stoves and the meal, such as "pot au feu" was cooked slowly all day, so it was always ready for a visitor. The origin of slow cooking, I suppose. Edited by Invicta
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It really depends upon your preference, what you plan to cook, how easy you want the cookware to clean and such practical matters.

I grew up using cast iron and I love cast iron. My wife hates cast iron so we don't have any since she does most of the cooking.

T-fal makes some good cookware which is durable and easy to clean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I inherited my grandmother's enamel-covered cast iron cookware and have used it all my adult life. They are still in pristine shape and could easily be used for the next 30 or 40 years or longer. The pieces are very, very heavy. They offer excellent heat conductivity from the bottom and sides so they cook everything evenly, which is a big advantage. I rarely have anything burned on the bottom when I cook or bake with them.

These pieces are virtually indestrucible and can last through several generations. Someone who inherited them from a parent would probably not just throw them out, but try to sell them. Perhaps you could (or your wife could) look for a few pieces being sold at garage sales or flea markets for a very good price? Or on eBay (well, now that I think about it, eBay might not be a good choice because the shipping would be quite costly).

I know the enamel-covered cookware can be pricey, but the cast iron pieces that are not enamel-covered can be bought very reasonably. Out of curiosity, I did a Google search for cast iron cookware and came across this website: http://www.lodgemfg.com/. They manufacture cast iron cookware in the United States, and they offer seasoned cookware for a very good price. Their enamel-covered pieces are quite a bit more expensive, but I wouldn't hesitate to use the seasoned cookware (not enamel-covered). If they are properly cared for, cast iron cookware develops a non-stick surface. I can't imagine using anything else.

Perhaps you could start with just a couple of small pieces -- perhaps a skillet that is a commonly-used size for your family. See how your wife likes it, and if she does like it maybe you could gradually add more pieces. The only real drawback is their very heavy weight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Well, I used to use the non stick cooking pots and pans until my husband cooked something one day and the coating came off and he ingested it. That is when we found out that it contained carcinogens. We decided to never use those types of pots and pans again. All I cook with now is cast iron and stainless steal. Cast iron is really not hard to clean if you season it properly. The brand we use is lodge. Sometimes there are good deals at stores for cast iron. I got my huge cast iron wok at a garage sale for $5.00. It is in excellent condition too!

Edited by amblivion
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Well, I used to use the non stick cooking pots and pans until my husband cooked something one day and the coating came off and he ingested it. That is when we found out that it contained carcinogens. We decided to never use those types of pots and pans again. All I cook with now is cast iron and stainless steal. Cast iron is really not hard to clean if you season it properly. The brand we use is lodge. Sometimes there are good deals at stores for cast iron. I got my huge cast iron wok at a garage sale for $5.00. It is in excellent condition too!


Oh my!!!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • Members

cast iron cookware is well worth using. alot better than non stick cookware. at present i have around 40 pieces from 6 in skillet to 15 in along with 2 qt to 20 gallon pots. real easy to use. got rid or all my stainless. and yes i do use everyday on a glass top stove. i just don't slide across, i pick up and move.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Administrators

I have a number of cast iron skillets - from very small (could fry maybe two eggs in them) to quite large. And I have a dutch oven (it's in storage so I haven't used it in a while). I do like cooking with them, and they are easy to clean. However, I was told I have too much iron in my system, so I had to quit using them so much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

One of my hobbies is collecting and restoring castiron cookware and related items. Haven't counted them, but I'm guessing I have around a hundred pieces, including 3 CI laundry stoves. Some observations, FWIW.

Yes, using plain CI cookware is a way to add some iron to your diet. However, a well seasoned skillet can only yield a very small amount, as the seasoning is a barrier between the metal and the food. The better the quality of the seasoning, the less contact there is between foodstuff and the bare metal, itself. Poorly seasoned CI and/or heavy use of acid foods (tomato based for example) an increase the potential for iron in the food. Enameled cookware that doesn't have scratches or chips is the equivalent of cooking in glass, as enamel is considered to be non-reactive.

If buying new plain CI cookware, Lodge is by far the best. The best enameled cookware is Le Creuset manufactured in France. (Expensive!) Lodge enamel ware is produced in China. (sigh) In the past foundries were commonplace here in the US and were producing high quality cookware. Over time the foundries closed and the craftsmanship of the remaining ones declined. To my knowledge, Lodge is the last foundry in the US producing cookware on a commercial scale. Sadly, their quality has declined, too. Sometime in the 1960's, they changed their casting/finishing procedures, due to the high cost of replacement finishing equipment when it failed. They couldn't replace it and still stay competitive with the flood of imports, especially the cheap "stuff" from China.

If buying new, do support Lodge to help keep them from closing their doors, too. The quality of their cookware is still much higher than the WalMart pieces marked Made In China. If you were to visit my shop, I could easily show you the difference.

That said, I can also show you the difference between pre and post 1960's Lodge. As a general rule, the older the piece of CI, the better the quality of pieces that haven't been abused by time. With a little hands-on study, you can tell the difference while being blindfolded. Some brands of old cookware are highly collectable and command high dollars on the collectors market. Griswold and Wagner are the most sought after brands, today. There are several others, including old Lodge. But, even the no-name old pieces are easy to recognize in terms of quality and craftsmanship. When comparing two pieces of the same size, old US cast will be lighter in weight and will have a smooth finish -- that non-stick finish, if well seasoned -- that just isn't available in modern production, regardless of the location of the foundry. Using that same comparison new Lodge has a much higher quality compared to the slipshod castings of the China imports.

Next: Sets of cookware. Don't buy them, regardless of the materials used for construction, whether stainless, enamelware, or castiron. I learned that the hardway years ago. "Sets" generally have pieces that go unused, thus are wasted money that could be better spent elsewhere. Buy individual pieces of cookware based on your actual needs and cooking style. Sure a matched set is "pretty" in the kitchen. But what good is "pretty" if the item(s) stays on the back shelf because it isn't used?

If you're in the market for castiron and have a limited budget, shop for it at yard sales, flea markets and such. AFTER spending some time teaching your hands how to recognize quality. One way to do this is to visit high end antique stores and handle those old high dollar Griswold pieces. Pick them up and feel the weight compared to the sizes. Run your fingers around the interior and notice the smooth and polished surface. Remember that as you visit WalMart or any other place and do the same thing with "Made in China". The interior will feel like a gravel road in comparison.

It does take time to find these old pieces at good prices. Ebay can give you an idea of what the going rate for "collectibles". That'll help you determine when you've found a bargain at a yardsale or in Aunt Bettie's basement. A FWIW... found a #10 Griswold for $4 at a yard sale. Looked it up on Ebay and the going rate for that particular skillet was $150. At the same sale found a #8 Griswold dutchoven for $50. Better half thought I was nuts for paying that much for a DO. That is until I whispered that the trivet in it was selling for $50, by itself. These are rare finds, BTW. OTOH, I've paid from $2 to $5 for QUALITY no-name CI pieces for use in the kitchen. Having Griswold stamped on the bottom, doesn't make that piece cook any better than the same quality ware produced by a foundry that didn't label their craftsmanship.

This post is getting long and I've rambled on long enough. Haven't even touched on bringing that old CI back to a useful life. Or, how much I enjoy cooking in CI when compared to the "modern" stuff, even the high end, high dollar All-Clad, Calphalon and other brands. Forget the celebrity endorced sets being promoted by most mass merchandisers - Emeril, WolfGang Puck, Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, etc. IMHO, they are like "designer jeans", in that you're paying a premium to have their label in your kitchen.

Get busy searching out those old quality pieces of CI. Don't know how to get started? For everything you ever wanted to know about CI cookware, visit this site: http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl There's a wealth of information there, even if you don't become a member with extended access.

Hope someone finds these thoughts to be useful this morning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...